My Biggest Youth Sports “ick”
It’s that time of year when you go to the park to walk your dog and enjoy the peace of a nice, crisp, Saturday morning…
And then, seemingly out of nowhere, you hear what sounds like an angry mob. But why would there be an angry mob on a Saturday morning at the park?
As you get closer to the noise, you realize that it is not an angry mob at all. Instead, it’s a youth soccer game.
Okay so maybe this is a bit of an embellishment… but I experienced this last weekend when I was out walking with my wife and dog.
We were just moseying along when all of a sudden I heard the noise of parents yelling which sent a shudder through my entire body. My wife looked at me, laughed, and knew immediately what I was thinking.
(Now, I want to be clear about two things before I go on: 1. I’m not annoyed at the cheering. Because we’re human and of course you’re going to hoot and holler for your kid and their teammates when something cool happens. 2. If you’re reading this, then chances are that you don’t do what I’m about to rant about, and if you do, it’s all good- that’s what this email is for).
Ya see, I (obviously) love sports, but there is nothing that grinds my gears more than going to a youth sports game and hearing parents yell commands such as “SHOOOT, PASS, RUN FASTER, BOOT IT” on the sidelines. It’s my “ick” as the young folk would say.
I could probably write until my hand cramps about this one, but instead, I'll just compare it to this scenario that I think you can relate to…
Imagine you’re in a meeting presenting a new idea to your colleagues, or even typing an important email. THEN, out of nowhere, your kid comes in and starts yelling “TYPE FASTER, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, HURRY UP!”
I can imagine that you in fact wouldn’t type faster or do a better job. So next time you think about yelling for your kid to shoot when she’s in the box, maybe you’ll think twice ;)
Remember that one of the amazing things about sports is that it gives our kids the opportunity to problem solve, think on their feet, and learn from the good and the bad choices they make. But when we TELL them what to do on the field, it takes away some of that autonomy in their decision making, confuses them (if it’s different than what the coach tells them), and makes it harder for them to execute what they’re trying to do.
I hope this post brought you a smile, maybe even a laugh, and perhaps changed your perspective on how you can be a more helpful and chill sideline parent! Feel free to share this with a parent that needs it (we all know that special someone….)
—Shay
